'No room at the inn' takes on greater meaning for immigrant groups

'No room at the inn' takes on greater meaning for immigrant groups

Ivan Alvarez and mother Ponceana Alvarez sing during the procession, alternating between traditional carols and a special posadas song when the pilgrims ask to be let in.

Ivan Alvarez and mother Ponceana Alvarez sing during the procession, alternating between traditional carols and a special posadas song when the pilgrims ask to be let in.

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Chronicle

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Chronicle

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Ivan Alvarez and mother Ponceana Alvarez sing during the procession, alternating between traditional carols and a special posadas song when the pilgrims ask to be let in.

Ivan Alvarez and mother Ponceana Alvarez sing during the procession, alternating between traditional carols and a special posadas song when the pilgrims ask to be let in.

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Chronicle

'No room at the inn' takes on greater meaning for immigrant groups

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Seven words from the biblical account of Jesus' birth stick out as the story gets retold year after year: no room for them at the inn.

The idea that the Virgin Mary was turned away on the night she gave birth inspired las posadas, a centuries-old practice for Catholics to reenact Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay that night in Bethlehem.

This year, as activists continued to lobby for easier paths for citizenship, Mexican-Americans and other immigrant populations related the plight of the Divine Mother to their own, their parents' or their neighbors'.

"This isn't just a nice story. They can identify tangibly with Mary and Joseph as outcasts and the struggles they faced for shelter," said John Burke, director of the University of St. Thomas' social justice institute. "Especially for people coming out of Mexico and Central America, with the posadas, you get a sense of the dignity of the human person and the preferential option for the poor."

Playing pilgrims, they go door to door, insisting in song to be let in. At Holy Ghost Catholic Church near Bellaire, they circled the sanctuary, school and chapels, led by children carrying a tiny nativity scene and lit by the glow of thick candles wrapped in colored cellophane. The last door welcomed them in to reflect on themes from the story of Christ's birth, including hospitality, joy and fraternity.

"We celebrate Christmas and what Jesus brought to us," said Norma Basurto, who directs the church's Hispanic ministries. "We pray the rosary for the people who don't have the things that we have."

After prayer, there was more celebration, with a piñata and treats such as cinnamon bread and hot chocolate. Miguel Estuivel watched as each of his three children swung at the papier-mâché star hanging in the church parking lot, an activity meant to symbolize beating sin.

An immigrant from El Salvador, Estuivel did not participate in a posada — Spanish for "lodging" or "inn" - until he moved to the U.S. two decades ago. He says it's become an important part of how he prepares for the holiday as a Catholic, a parent and a migrant.

"When the people start to sing the song, it makes you remember the Christmas story," he said.

Hundreds of parishioners repeat the posada procession for nine nights, a devotional tradition called a novena to prepare for the holy day. Tonight, Christmas Eve, will be the final posada, ending with Mass. The Rev. Greg May, pastor at Holy Ghost, estimates that three-quarters of the congregation is Spanish speaking and about half of the 1,000 families who regularly attend services are from Mexico.

"As immigrants to the U.S., they relate to the story, and on a religious level they consider how they are open to the stranger, to those in need," May said.

Augustine friars initially used las posadas as a way to reach out to Mexicans and help them better understand the theological teachings behind Christmas, according to Sergio Castillo, the director for Hispanic ministry for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

In America, las posadas, along with the reenactments of the way of the cross done on Good Friday, connect Hispanic Catholics with cultural elements of their religion.

With the sanctuary movement to care for Central American refugees in the 1980s, some Catholics began directly connecting the teachings of their faith to the positions of immigrants, said Burke, of St. Thomas. It's even more actively discussed and prayed about now, especially in parishes with large immigrant populations.

The U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops supported the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, which failed to pass in the Senate last week. The bishops considered the bill a "compassionate solution," allowing children of undocumented parents to gain legal status through college or military service.

"The U.S. bishops have been heavily involved in supporting the DREAM Act, and I stand in solidarity with my brother bishops in affirming basic human rights for all immigrants," said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. "I have been in collaboration with other faith leaders in the greater Houston area on this measure, and while we are disappointed that the bill did not pass, we will work to ensure its fair passage in the future."

Now, in the middle of the Christmas season, the struggle to reach out to the poor and the sojourner, as instructed in scripture, continues.

"How do we deal with the gross disparity in Mexico, and what do we do when we're building walls instead of building bridges and welcoming the stranger, which is what the posadas is about?" Burke asked.